A £46 million care and housing development has been green lit in Lewis, which will provide the area with a 52-bed care home, 50 extra-care units, and 74 houses.

The scheme will see land adjacent to Goathill Farm in Stornoway transformed to make way for the new facility and affordable homes.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Hebridean Housing Partnership are collaborating on the project with funding assistance from the Scottish government. It also forms a significant part of the implementation of a review of care facilities on the island and of the Local Housing Strategy, specifically the provision of affordable housing in Stornoway.

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Construction work will be delivered over three phases, the first of which will see preliminary civil engineering works delivered across the entire site by main contractor Wates with principal subcontractor McLaughlin & Harvey. These will commence in July 2019.

The construction of the second phase of the project, comprising the construction of the care home and extra-care housing, is scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2019 with both facilities completed by summer 2021.

The third phase, comprising the construction by Hebridean Housing Partnership and O'Mac Construction Ltd of 74 new homes – 58 homes for rent and 16 for purchase through the Shared Equity Scheme – is also planned to commence in autumn 2019 with the first homes becoming available by March 2021.

The entire development is due for completion in autumn 2022.

(CM/JG)